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america. this is bbc world news america reporting from washington. who shot down flight ma 17. president obama says the malaysian plan was. by a missile from western ukraine. >> this tragic and devastating scene, people's clothes and belongings and lifejackets are scattered amongst the charred bodies. learn more about the 298 people who died on board as tribute for the vacancy start pouring in. israel says it is it is prepared invasion in gaza.

calling it an outrage of unspeakable perk portions -- proportions, president obama bys that it was shot down russian-backed separatists. 298 people died at. from thele was fired toros area of western ukraine, just 14 miles of the site of the crash very -- crash. the report contains some distressing images. >> the start or of the debris field left behind. pieces of the plane spread for miles across original fields outside the town. it is fairly obvious that the

plane exploded midair. 300 passengers and crew simply dropped to the ground. the whereabouts of the lockbox flight recorders is unknown. in the villages around, parts of the plane and oddities are scattered everywhere. people watched as they plummeted to earth. >> there was a very strong rain -- plane rumble and then a strong boom. people were falling from the sky. >> when we ran out, we saw parts of the plane falling around our house. the sunflower fields, off-duty miners were searching for more audience. each is marked with a makeshift stick with a white rag on it can

gas on it. about onen area of hundred bodies that are still missing. it is a devastating scene. and thenclothes lifejackets are scattered amongst the charred bodies. you can still smell the death and the burning in the air. is the middle of a war zone with the rebel check points and the closed airspace. it has taken 24 hours to get here from moscow. did makeonal observers it to the scene today but they were closely shepherded by the rebels.

the strongest very for the explosion, one that the british government supports, is that an -- an raft missile was antiaircraft missile was fired. this video shows a missile launcher spirited out of the country and back into russia. throughout the day, the sense of international outrage has grown. president obama says that everyone, including the russians, would be expected to cooperate. president vladimir putin says that the responsibility lies the ukraine's and where incident happened.

>> at americans are already pointing the fixture -- the pinch -- the finger at russia. was launched by separatists from russia. >> the russian ambassador called them unjustified insinuations. but it is president clinton adding -- president for the bank 's opinionnt putin that matters most. he says that it was that ukrainian people who failed to protect them that matters most. >> this tragedy would not have

happened if this land was added peace or f combat operations had not been resumed. it is obvious that the state in which this happened bears the responsibility. thehis is not any longer ruler -- the russian relationship with kia or the west. is found responsible is likely to be deemed a criminal. putin'snd mr. standing could be held the world over. respectingll governments to participate in this investigation and to support the ukraine government to bring to justice those two committed this international crime. >> one of the disputed areas in

western ukraine, this week, they are traveling to discover and reminder that, in any conflict, there's no clear right or wrong, with everof war\ more victims. >> with who may have shot down with the, i spoke center of american progress. has added obama making it very clear he thinks it is russian-backed separatists responsible. in your experience, how likely is this? >> eight seems like the most

likely outcome. to know what happened to the airplane itself, there has to be a full and credible investigation and that will only happen if an international group can have access. overall situation, the reason this was even possible is because russian-backed separatists have been able to continue this kind of fighting and have access to these kinds of weapons that have come in large part from russia. >> if this is the case, if they are responsible for this, they have every reason to try to cover it up. in that case, is a credible investigation possible? >> the images we see now makes you wonder whether it is possible for investigators to get there now. at the end of the day, we will find out what the basics are.

we will learn more and more as time goes on you i think the parties that are involved are quite shocked themselves and don't want to be held responsible. but hopefully it will help motivate people back to a cease-fire era >> do you think president putin is shocked? 'i think he is probably behind the scenes quite alarmed. this is not something the russian government would want to have happened. it happens back to 1983 when the -- shot down down korean air lines. i certainly hope we would not see that in the 21st century. >> why can he do at this point? his -- tell the separatists that he is

supporting that the game is up, that it is time to going to a a peace- ap's office -- process. >> tributes have been paid to those who lost their lives aboard the malaysian airlines er. >> this is a country submerged in grief. >> [indiscernible] >> today, the flowers were taken to the florist. the sign says happy holidays. we will reopen on august 4. only they won't. the florist and her boyfriend were killed 33,000 feet above ukraine.

>> we can do nothing. all we can do is lay down flowers and about them. >> the flags fly at half maximum. at the airport from where they departed, another -- another pile of flowers gather. among the passengers had enough today was a colleague of a killed aids researcher. >> how do you comprehend? one of the passengers filmed inside the plane just before takeoff. three hours later, they were all dead. tributes forl, new those flying to new zealand to

watch their team play. a newcastle united fan since he was a boy. down, alls looking those people -- >> the list goes on. richard made on a study exchange program and then there are the children, the family's who have vanished in an instant. in all, 80 children are thought to have been aboard. tried airport, some have to express their feelings in a book of condolence, but it is too much to take in.

>> you are watching bbc world news america. we will report on the other major story of the day and the israeli ground offensive in gaza. they are prepared for significant expansion of the operation. >> libya's foreign minister has asked the united nations for help. he wants libya is that risk of becoming a failed state. >> the main airport is quickly transforming into a pile of rubble and debris. only terminal is damaged, too. renderedort has been an operable for the foreseeable future.

they are formally seeking help from the united nations security counsel. the consequences will be couldaching and perhaps be beyond control. >> earlier this week, he said they were considering the request for international forces to protect civilians and prevent chaos d. what the u.n. is willing to do remains unclear here i. >> implications and the ability of its staff to carry out its work, the decision has been taken to reduce and then later

raw staff in the country. hostilitiesnuing grows more fuel in a fire that is he coming more difficult to control. >> tonight, this is the scene over gaza where flares are lighting up the sky while the ground offense continues. benjamin minton you who warned he is preparing for significant warnsjamin nixon yahoo! he is preparing for significant expansion.

first, this report from northern gaza. >> in northern gaza, families are on the run. they are taking as much as they can carry and flee as fast as they can. we were sitting in our house, this woman cried, and they started showing us. we ran to a relatives house and they started showing them. forces are searching for tunnels used by palestinian militants. why is this area targeted? >> there is nothing in our area here.

it is just what they want to justify it. disguiseones are in and artillery in the last hour. you see families on the run, running in every possible direction not knowing where this military action is going. [gunfire] >> israel says it is not targeting civilians. but more are dying. at the morgue, they say goodbye to 20 you -- to 22-year-old ahmed. every funeral is a moment of public mourning and private grief. amas is still firing rockets into israel. and israel is targeting buildings of ja,as -- of hamas

leaders. vows they will not destroy them. the israel offensive, this looked like an entirely new conflict. thousands of soldiers are massing -- are amassing on the border. the government says they want to close tunnels that militants are using to infiltrate israeli resources. instructions to the army with the approval of the security cabinet is to prepare for the possibility of a whining

of the ground. late last night that israeli drone troops went into gaza. the first soldier was killed in the conflict . it has taken a terrible toll on gaza. >> he said or to the invasion saying that hamas needs to change. >> we feel we can deal with can eliminate this idea from the heads that they release [indiscernible] it's not going to happen.

>> we had to seek cover in the basement. yet again, israel is directing its might against hams. a third strike. victory will again be elusive. >> for more of the ground offensive, i spoke with the israeli ambassador to the u.s. [no audio] i am sorry for the technical problem. as we just saw, the conflict underway at the moment, the from israelion

continued after a failed cease-fire. people forced to flee their homes. the rocket assault continues as well give the fighting is deadlocked. is reported. we will go back to our top story which is the plane that was downed in eastern ukraine. the debris from this crash stretches for miles and that is one of the challenges for investigators. it was flying over the troubled region of western ukraine. some airlines have decided to avoid it since the conflict began. beinvestigators will desperate to secure the crash scene as soon as possible. right now, there is no evidence

that any evidence has been taken away. the ukrainians would normally take charge did but the crash site is controlled by the people they are fighting. says, former investigator once experts arrive, it should be full of clues. >> if you have a missile warhead explosion of an bomb aboard an aircraft, they get washed by the blast and they have traces of the explosion left on them. it is possible to swab the andice, send it to a lab, identify the actual explosion. >> if a missile -- it is a missile from this launcher that is being looked for. the maximum rage is more than double the altitude of the airliner.

trained toators are identify what they are fighting -- what they are shooting at you >> you can lock onto a target but not understand the full intricacies of the system, the difference between transponder codes. >> there are now russians about why airliners were flying over a conflict zone. malaysiacks show that was using this route for some time because it was declared the above or 2000 feet it photons that is using it, too, with other airlines. reddish airways decided to avoid ukraine altogether. this is the picture from or their today. you can see -- from earlier today. we again see the aircraft

debris. recovering the black boxes is vital. -- anyone with a stake in the flight would want to be involved. least 10e at nationalities on board get it will be one of the most controversial aircraft investigations ever way -- ever made and the most closely watched. >> that brings today's show to a close. you can find much more on our website. for all of us, thank you very much for watching and please tune in on monday. have a good weekend.

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captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> woodruff: president obama said the malaysian plane crash was a global tragedy and called for an international investigation to uncover who fired the missile that brought it down. good evening, i'm judy woodruff. also ahead, israel's prime minister warned the ground operation in gaza could widen significantly, as the death toll climbed. plus, we travel to wisconsin for a look at the deep political divides in american politics. >> all you have to do is look at a map and you can see voting results, just how widespread the differences are, and milwaukee, the city of milwaukee a deep, deep blue.